Journey Across Time
by Dischord
Summary: When you set someone free, and everything goes wrong, how do you set things right again? A story about Ele'sear, and her beginnings.
1. Beginning

"_We laughed, and danced._

_We hurt one another._

_We cried tears of pain._

_We lived, and loved._

_We lost and wept._

_We mourned the passing._

_We have been together._

_We will be together._

_We are eternity."_

In this world we live in, there are thousands of stories that have been written, thousands more that have yet to be written, and thousands more that are being written. This is merely another story that I write for you today. Some of you may question who I am. Some of you may know who I am, but wonder of my origins. It has been so long that even I sometimes forget where I first began. I have been alive during the course of this world, for far more years than I care to remember.

I am often called 'The Wanderer', by those who have the misfortune to know of my life. I am not a wanderer of this world, though. In some regards, I am a wanderer of time. How is one such as I capable of wandering time, you might ask? It is easy, when you are a cursed existence. The cycle of rebirth never allows me to flee from its steady grasp.

The number of lifetimes I have lived is far too numerous to count. I remember my birth, in the years long ago, when the world was wild, and magic danced freely amidst the great blue skies. But those are times that have been gone for many years. Isn't it ironic, how easily time slips through our grasp, when we grasp for it the hardest?

I have had many families, over the course of the countless lives I have lived in this world. Every time I think I may have a chance for happiness, I am reminded of who I am, and of the burdens that I carry. I have left behind those I grew to care for. I have lain to rest the spirits of those who left me behind. I have watched worlds grow, change, die, and be reborn. I am endless. I am eternal. And such a sad existence it has become.

I won't proclaim myself a God. I don't think I'm a deity. A deity at least, has some measure of control over their destiny. I however, seem to be dragged along through the strands of time, tossed wherever I am tossed, like a leaf blowing in the wind, I land wherever the wind carries me to.

I have assisted the heroes of the worlds far more times than I would care to admit to. I have offered my hand to weave the threads of fate in favor of the saviors of humanity, and in return, I watch those I learn to care for die in some of the most horrid manners possible.

I once found love, and even that could not escape the grasp of time. I am cursed, so I am told. I am cursed to live in this world a thousand times over. Where this curse started, and why, I am uncertain, but it has plagued me since my first days as a spirit. I am the Lady of Pain. I am Ele'sear. The Wanderer. I have a task I must complete, some great geas placed upon my soul, before I will be freed.

My story started well over a thousand years ago...


	2. Separation

"What do you mean he's dead?" the red-haired woman's voice was a hoarse whisper, and she stared down at a half-torn scroll in her hands. In the doorway was a man clad in silver armor, his helmet held in his hands.

"We got word from the front just this morning, Lady. He was struck down in combat less than a moon ago." As the man repeated what the scroll echoed, her hands folded down into her lap, and she shook. It had been less than a year ago he had asked her to marry him. She had been so happy. They had waited so long, been together for so much time, and it had taken so long for their love to reach the point it had.

And now he was gone. A chill filled the room, and from behind her, a pair of warm hands wrapped her shoulders, and she turned, flinging herself against the figure of her younger brother, weeping as she clung to his shoulders, and the scroll that had borne such ill news clattered to the floor.

The dark haired man lifted his head, sighing softly as he held the crying form of his older sister against him. "You should probably go. She'll be alright. We appreciate the news. We wish you luck."

The soldier nodded, and placed his helmet back upon his head. "The war has ended now. Just one more moon. I'm sorry, both of you." And with that he turned, pulling the door closed behind him.

Hands eased forward, urging his sister back from his shoulder. When he looked down, her face was a mask of pain, and he almost couldn't bare to watch, as hot tears streamed down her face, and her head shook. She was mumbling over and over as her head shook, her eyes hazy, almost as if she wasn't quite there any longer. Like she had left her body somewhere far behind.

"_No... no..."_ And the distraught youth did the only thing he could. As the sun set outside the window, and the back of the soldier who'd played messenger disappeared into the sunset, he held his sister, and let her grieve.

That night, he carried her to bed, and lay her to rest, pulling the covers up to her chin. Her eyes were swollen and red, and her breathing ragged, her sobs remaining even throughout the night. To have suffered trials to be with one another, to overcome their feelings, and the refusal of their parents. It wasn't fair.

He dimmed the lantern that hung just beside her bed, and slowly slipped from the room.

----

More than a week had passed since the news had arrived of the passing of his sister's love. With sorrow he had helped her with even her most daily tasks. She had lain in bed for more than a week, and her sadness showed more acutely than ever now. He had tried to feed her, begged her to eat, but she had scarcely moved from that place in bed, even as days had passed her by. He rested just outside the doorway, his back to the wooden structure, as his head turned to talk to the doctor as he approached.

"Thank you for coming. She won't move, hasn't moved from that spot. She seems so tormented. No matter what I do, she won't eat. I think she's dying." His thoughts hung heavy in the air, as the doctor slipped in through the open door. It was almost an hour before he reemerged.

"I don't think her condition is medical, if you want my opinion. We all heard the news. I believe your sister is suffering from a broken heart. It is tragic, but if she doesn't pull herself forward from this sadness, she's going to die. She's wasting away. The only one who can save her.. is herself." The white haired doctor lay a soft hand on the boys shoulder, before stepping past him, and moving back through the doorway, departing the small home.

The younger man stepped forward then, staring through the crack in the door, at the pale form of his older sister. Her red hair was stringy, and hung loose around her face. Under her eyes were dark circles, as though she had far too little sleep. She was so thin, almost fragile. His fists tightened at his sides as he watched her toss in discomfort.

_"Please. Don't die."_ He eased the door shut, and prayed she would get some rest at last.

----

"_Ele'sear..."_ The masculine voice was soft, and she lurched forward in the bed, sunken eyes flashing open. "Noah!" Standing there at the foot of the bed, still clad in his robes, stood her dead lover. Hands trembled as she tossed back the blankets, and stood, shakily beside the bed, using the wooden bed posts for support as she took a tentative step towards him.

"Noah.." Tears wavered in her gray eyes as she stepped forward, hands extending outwards, only to find herself falling forward, through him as she reached for him. Hands impacted the heavy wood sharply, and oily red hair slipped past her face, covering the tears that fell freely against the wooden floor beneath her.

"_Oh Ele. I'm sorry."_ His hand rested against her back softly, there, yet unable to touch her, as she cried. He was close. She could cry. It would be okay. And she wept. For over an hour, she wept those hot tears, until she found the strength to stand again, back straight, turned away from him.

He stepped forward slowly as she did so, arms wrapping gently around her shoulders, as she resisted the urge to lean back into the arms that she knew were not really there. "Please. Please don't leave me again."

The man shook his head, and leaned forward, voice soft against her ear. _"I'll always come when you call. I promise. Please live for me."_ And then, he faded away, as the door before her slid open, and her brother strode forward, gasping in shock as the bucket of water he had been hauling clattered to the floor.

Rushing forward, he grabbed for her as she slumped down. "Ele!" His voice was a sharp cry as they both collapsed towards the ground, and he looked down puzzled, as she shook against him. It took him a few moments to realize she wasn't crying, she was laughing.

"Ele?" His voice was soft, as if he was certain she had gone mad. When she turned her head towards him, she smiled up at him.

"Its okay. I'm going to be okay. Help me get cleaned up? I'm a mess. How much time has passed, do you know?" A dozen questions a minute, and he answered them all happily, as he hurriedly helped her towards the hot spring outside. His sister was alright!

----

Days at first passed, and their routine fell back into normal, except for her daily visits from the ghost of her dead lover. Days melded into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years. Two years had passed since the day the dreadful news had been delivered. Two years of long talks, and nights spent close, yet not together. Not together, because it was impossible for him to be.

Her magic had always been her strongest point. Her mastery and manipulation had always be superior, second only to his. And so she sat there in her library, pouring over books detailing rituals to allow someone to be reborn. She could halt her age for a little time, allow him to be reborn and grow, and they could be together again. It would be a perfect plan, she was positive.

Finally, she revealed the events of the past two years to her younger brother, who, worried for the safety of his sister, demanded to meet Noah once again. Much to his surprise, he actually did, and the two spent time talking while the younger woman poured through book after book. As Noah detailed the plan to him, his head shook.

"You've got to be insane. What if something goes wrong?" His hand slammed down onto the table top, and he shoved his chair away, standing. "Or is that the plan? My sister dies and you all can be together? What if she moves on, instead of staying like you did!"

Noah lifted one hand, to silence the younger man. _"Between the two of us, we have the most combined magical knowledge that exists here. We can do this without a problem. Just give us time. By this hour tomorrow, I'll be alive again, and your sister and I will both be walking through that door."_

Doubting, and beyond doubting, skeptical, he strode from the room, shaking his head, only pausing once he'd reached the doorway. "If you get my sister killed. I'll never forgive either of you."

And the door slammed behind him, shaking the walls of the small library. Ele'sear looked up from her book only once, before returning to pouring through the tome. She had so much work to do. So many things to calculate. She didn't have time for this. Noah, just behind her, smiled. They would be together soon. It would all work out perfectly. The spell could never fail.

Hands hovered above her shoulder, as he murmured. _"Soon, Ele. Soon we'll be together again. Soon we can touch. We can be married."_ A thrill filled her, and with devotion, she went through the calculations, and the spell again and again.

Lifting her head after over half the night had passed, she cheered in triumph. "Sundown tomorrow. Meet me on the cliff, then." And almost immediately, she slumped forward, exhaustion catching up with her as she drifted off with her head resting atop a pile of books. Some things about his love had never, and likely would never change.

----

And it wasn't until the next day when he saw her again. She stood facing away from him on the cliff, her eyes staring off into the distance, citing something softly under her breath. It would be soon enough, he would be able to touch her again. The soft rustling of the wind drew her attention, and her head turned, a soft smile on her face.

"You came." A quiet whisper, and she turned towards him, as his arms wrapped around her, close, but not touching, that pseudo embrace he always held her with. She ached inside at the though that soon it would be his flesh against hers again. She would be able to hold him. And this time, she would never let him go.

"_I always come when you call me."_ She smiled up at him, and then stepped back, to begin preparations for the ritual to come. As hands drew steadily in the dirt, she finished the ritualistic circle that she had begun long before his arrival. Still a slight bit tired, she moved forward again, turning to face him, his back towards the cliff, as she reached for a small knife that had been secreted away under her cloak.

He nodded encouragement to her as she peeled away her cloak, leaving behind her most typical outfit in its place. A silhouette there in the setting sun, the distant castle behind them, she eased her sleeves back, and with a slow cut across her left palm, blood flowed to the surface in a red line, as she kneeled downward, stabbing it deep within the dark soil beneath her feet.

She had too much to do, and too little time to do it in. Reaching forward, she pressed her palm against his chest, as she began to speak.

"I call to the four corners of the world. I call to the guardians, The four gods, I call you forward into being. I call your spirit from the grave. I call you forward into existence!" Her hand pressed suddenly with firmness as he grew solid beneath her grasp. The circle around them began to glow, and he pushed forward against the weight of her hand, as the blood upon her palm fused itself into a glowing red symbol upon his skin.

"With love, I bind your spirit. With power, I bind your body." Her voice began to shake, as the glowing of the circle and the symbol began to pulse in steady unison with one another, the cliff trembling beneath the two of them.

"With the power of the four gods, I cast you into the great cycle of rebirth! Spirit to spirit, body to body, heart to heart, be gone into the great depths. I sever the bonds that tie you to this world. I free you from this eternity!" And she plunged forward, both hands stretched outwards, as she leapt into him, expecting to find flesh as her hand had been pressed against him.

Instead, she found herself grasping empty air as she leapt through him, and past him, landing in a skid along the cliff, just at the edge of the circle. Eyes opened wide, as she glanced back, to where he kneeled into the dust, before glancing down at her hands, which were steadily growing more insubstantial.

Behind her, he stood, straightening as he did so, turning, his voice excited as he spoke.

"Ele, Ele it worked! It worked, I'm..." He stopped, as he glanced to where she stood, her entire body wavering as her eyes, panicked, stared towards him. "No! No, this wasn't supposed to happen!" He lunged for her, only to find himself sliding through her and into the dust beyond her, outside the circle.

"_I'm sorry..."_ Her voice was the one ethereal and echoing now, as she began to steadily fade away. i"I wasn't strong enough."/i And as his hands reached for her, the figure of the woman continued to fade from view.

"No... Ele'sear!" He stumbled towards her, as the glowing light of the circle started to dim around them, and she tipped her head, smiling at him as one almost incorporeal hand slid against the side of his face, just enough of her remaining for their skin to contact.

"_I was happy I met you. Promise me you'll keep living, Noah. Don't let this have been for nothing. We'll meet again. I promise."_ Her hand slid through his skin then, emerging from the other side as she continued to lose her solidarity.

"ELE'SEAR!" His voice split the night sky as the woman he loved vanished in front of his eyes. The circle finally dimmed, and then went dark as the surge of power that had been its fuel vanished.

Ele'sear was gone.


	3. Rebirth

Noah stood with his back against the wall, his head turned to the side. In front of him, Ele'sear's brother stood with clenched fists, the red imprint on the right side of Noah's face making it apparent whom had struck whom.

"I warned you both!" the young man's body shook as he faced down the man who he had looked up to, who he had prayed would become his brother. And yet, their hair brained scheme had instead cost him his sister's life. One hand shot past Noah's face as he slammed his fist into the wall, and crumbled forward.

Without a word, Noah's hands reached out to support the younger man, as he jerked back away, staggering until his hip bumped against the crude wooden table that supported all of the books Ele'sear had poured over. A few hours previous, she had been sleeping here, with her head down. With angry glares, he swept the table clean with a violent motion of his arms, sending books, scrolls and all into the burning fireplace just across the room.

Noah stepped forward, hand laying across the young mans shoulder roughly, spinning him around to face him, as one hand shot upwards and slammed into his gut. As Noah's fist impacted solidly, he slumped forward, hands going to his stomach, his eyes bulging. Looking upwards, his eyes wavered, and he surged forward, sobbing against Noah's shoulder, much as his sister had done against his.

"I'm sorry. I wish I knew what had gone wrong. The ritual was enacted just as planned." Noah's head hung forward, chin resting against the top of the young man's head, eyes closed behind his small glasses. It simply wasn't fair. He'd had only a momentary touch before she had vanished.

A soft whisper of a sigh breathed across the two, and both heads rose sharply, at the cool wind that rushed in through the window, a fluttering of hair visible as the shout went up from both men simultaneously. "Ele'sear!"

---

And suddenly there she was, garbed in a pale rose colored dress, red hair drifting freely behind her in the cool wind that filled the house, a glowing red symbol upon her forehead, the symbol? 'Rebirth'. Her brother was the first to rush forward, where he slumped forward as he stepped through her, hitting the ground on his knees, tears flowing fresh. Her head lowered where she stood before him, and she clenched her hands at her sides.

"_I'm sorry. Please don't cry."_ her voice was hollow, almost as if it wasn't truly there. She turned slightly then, extending one hand out towards her brother, as her physical body became less transparent, and more physical. Noah stepped forward then, one hand tentative as he reached for the body of his lover. It seemed almost a dream, that she was standing there before him, her hand stretched towards her younger brother.

One hand slid forward, and was met with the warm flesh of her shoulder, a stinging prick of tears burning against the inside of Noah's eyes as he moved forward, arms grasping her tightly, as she pulled her brother upwards off the ground. It was her. She was real.

The two men slid against the solid form of the woman they loved, and together, the trio embraced. It was a miracle. Or maybe, something else. As her head lifted, it was apparent then what the symbol upon her forehead had meant. Her fiery red hair, the rose hued dress, the golden hues with which it was decorated. She had been reborn. Chosen.

Her head turned just slightly, as if she knew Noah's thoughts, and she nodded.

"You're correct. I'm no longer merely a spirit. I'm now more. What, I don't know," her brother released her, and stepped back just barely to arms length, still grasping his sister's hand as she spoke. "When I passed through you, Noah, I faded. I don't remember where I was, but I felt as if I was floating. Like in a dream." she shivered, and the apparent memory of her death weighed heavily on her.

"I felt a sudden warmth, and there was a brilliant red light. All around me was the glowing warmth of feathers, and I could breathe, and feel again. The most beautiful man I'd ever seen was standing there in front of me. He had soft red hair, and wore red. He had a symbol on his forehead, 'Suzaku', one of the Four Gods. He told me to return. That it was not yet my time. When I opened my eyes, I was standing at the edge of the bed, and you two suddenly turned to me."

Both men were staring open mouthed as she spoke, and upon her forehead, the symbol of 'Rebirth' slowly but steadily faded away, until it was just a faint memory upon her skin. As it faded, so too did the wind that had been blowing through the open window.

When the wind had quieted, she lifted her hands gently away from her brother, and ruffled his hair softly, her head tipping with a gentle smile. "I'm back. I promise. And this time, I'll be here for good."

Noah said nothing for a few moments, his throat tight in his chest, words unspoken that begged to be said. His beautiful love was back from the dead. They had finally been reunited. Maybe love did exist. As hands reached out for her, she slid against him, her head coming to rest against his shoulder.

"I won't leave either of you. I promise." her words were stern, and both men knew, that if she could keep that solemn promise to them both, she would. But it was always difficult, because one never knew what life threw at them.

Noah's voice was soft, and he smiled down at her as he spoke. "Marry me?"

Her brother grinned upwards, as the heavy mood that had drifted across the house was suddenly lifted with the proposal. With an almost timid look upon her face, she nodded.

"Yes."

---

The wedding was probably the most splendid event that anyone in the country could have imagined. They stood in the sprawling gardens of the palace, a soft rain of rose petals littering the ground in patterns of red, white, and pale pink.

Ele'sear, in the meantime, was somewhere off in the distance, in probably what could be described as a mad panic. Her hands clenched and unclenched, her fingers wrung, and she worried at the hem of her dress until it threatened to become frayed.

The steady hands of her younger brother clasped over her own, and she stilled, smiling up at him weakly. "Sorry."

He chuckled softly, and reached a hand to smooth a stray lock of red hair back into the golden tiara that adorned her head. Her hair was worn long, laced with strings of fine rose pearls, and a similar set of pearls adorned her throat, hanging in a long string to dangle just above the bust line of her dress. She was in a panic, but she was the bride, she was allowed to be, right?

"I'm just worried that something will go wrong. I'll get nervous, or forget what I'm supposed to say." her hands were wringing again, and she cursed whenever he took her hands again, stringing them quickly with a small piece of silken rope, meant to be tied to her husband.

"Don't make me take you down to the altar tied, Ele. I'll do it." he grinned as she instantly relaxed, before he untied the rope, and straightened it back to its formerly pristine state of being. With a sharp shake of her head, she stood, and began to pace back and forth. She was beautiful, and he admired her with a smile. In the long white dress she'd chosen, soft and simple, flowing around her body, she was an absolute picture of an angel. All she lacked was the white wings.

"I know, I know I'm being silly." her words jarred him from his thoughts sharply, and he nodded almost instantly. "Yes, yes you are," a soft grunt, as he deflected the quick jab that was aimed for his stomach. Groaning, he leaned forward, rubbing his stomach as though he were wounded.

"If you keep hurting me, you'll end up walking yourself," their heads lifted in unison then, as the first strains of music floated from the immense garden. "Its time." he took her hand, lacing it atop his, and moved towards the entrance of the tent. She reached up, and grasped the bouquet of white roses that would eventually rain down upon the crowd, and turned to face the front of the tent. "Here we go."

Standing ahead of the rest of them, Noah stood with his hands folded gently in front of him. Devoid of his gloves, his hands were laced together. He wasn't looking at all bad himself at this moment. With his brown hair spilling just around his shoulders, and a soft twinkle in his eye, he watched his bride, and his brother walk down the aisle together. She had never been more beautiful. Wasn't this the case for every woman on her wedding day?

As they approached the front of the garden, Noah extended his hand, and slowly, her fingers slid into his own, a faint red hue glowing along her face. She was embarrassed but then again, and he smiled softly down at her, willing away her discomfort. Bit by bit, the smile spread to her face, as her brother laced the rope around her hand, and Noah's as well, before stepping back.

Before them, stood the King, the man who reigned across the country they called home. A man well into his years, but not so far as to be 'past his time', he patted their hands softly, as they turned to him together.

"Today we gather together in the Garden of the Four Gods, to celebrate this union of man to woman, of spirit, body and soul." and as if in unison, the four statues that decorated the four corners of the garden lit up. Genbu. Byakko. Seiryu. Suzaku. One by one their light filled the garden, and a gentle glow surrounded the two, where their hands joined together.

The king gestured slightly, and the two turned to one another.

Noah spoke first. "I pledge myself to you, Ele'sear. In body, in mind, and in spirit. I pledge my heart, my soul, and all that I am to you. Through our best, and through our worst, we will endure. I swear before King and Country I will provide for you a shoulder to cry on, a body to warm yourself with, and a tender hand to comfort you. I promise to keep you, and cherish you, to treasure every day we walk together, and praise every night we rest beside one another. To you, and only you, does my heart belong. Yours, Eternally."

Ele'sear blinked through a soft haze of tears, as the depth of Noah's words sank in. No, her brother had been right. She never had anything to fear. With a soft contralto, she echoed his words. "I pledge myself to you, Noah. In body, in mind, and in spirit. I pledge my heart, my soul, and all that I am to you. Through our best, and through our worst, we will endure. I swear before King and Country I will provide for you a soft shoulder to cry on, the warmth of my arms to hold you close, and a gentle word of encouragement when no other will. I promise to keep you, and cherish you, to treasure every night we go to sleep together, and pray in thanks for every day we wake up together. To you, and only you, does my heart belong. Yours, Eternally, My Love."

The King took their joined hands, and though they were only half aware of him, they simply only had eyes for one another. With a gesture he raised their hands together, speaking softly. "Genbu, Byakko, Suzaku, Seiryu, Bless and sanctify this union, joined in the garden of the most holy Four Gods, pledged before the sight of the governing spirits, may their days together be many, their children grow strong, and their love forever prosper."

He drew their hands towards him, above a small cup that rested on a single stone pillar. Into it, purified wine had been poured, and with a pinprick to each hand, several drops of blood spilled free to mingle with the wine, as the glass was lifted, and first offered to Noah.

"Drink of this, become blood of her blood, become the other half of her spirit. Join with her, and be blessed, Noah." without hesitation, Noah lifted the glass, and drank steadily, as eyes stared at the woman before him across the rim of the glass.

As it lowered, it was passed to Ele'sear, and she lifted it as well, drinking the remaining wine. As the glass was taken back by the King, the two smiled across at one another.

"Pledged and promised, bonded and joined, before the Four Gods, and all those of this Kingdom, you are Man and Wife." the glass was placed then carefully in a carved oak box, and as the King turned back, he gestured, and with a passion that had scarcely been seen, the two fell into one another's arms, lips sealed in a kiss that made them both breathless when they finally fell away from one another.

Only when the pounding had faded in their ears, did they hear the hammering sound of clapping around them, as every man, woman and child in attendance who could, stood with their hands clapping, their feet stamping, whistles going up, and the sound of celebration ringing throughout the lands.

Noah pulled her closer to him softly then, ignoring the sounds of revelry, and his head arched down, as lips brushed against hers, and he murmured. "Stay with me forever."

Without hesitation, she smiled against his mouth, and murmured a gentle _'Yes', _just in time for her voice to be swept away as the sound of music and dancing filled the garden. This would be a celebration like the Kingdom had never seen before.

---

"Ele!" Noah's cry was sharp from outside. She had fainted while working on one of her spellbooks. She had been doing a great deal of research lately, and it had been taking its toll on her steadily, more and more lately she had been tired, her eyes heavy, and her body in need of rest. Originally, they hadn't thought anything of it, but during the day, while Noah had been gathering a few things from the Kingdom market, word had reached him that she had collapsed. Instantly, he'd rushed back to her side.

The doctor was just emerging from their bedchamber as Noah rounded the corner. Tucked securely beside the older gentleman was Noah, his expression worried as he grabbed her up and cuddled her close to him, feeling everywhere at once as he looked for signs of what had been wrong.

"Now now," the voice of the older doctor penetrated his search, as he wiped his hands lightly on the brown trousers he wore. "Be careful there, or you'll hurt the baby."

Noah stilled almost instantly, as if he'd been struck, as he stared down at the face of his beloved, her face absolutely glowing, as she cradled her hands across her stomach. "We're going to have a family, Noah."

But at the sight of her joy, any reservations he had, vanished, and he wrapped his arms around her, lips pressing against the crown of her head.

'_I'm going to be a Father.' _inwardly it sounded good, and as he thought of the son, or daughter he might raise with her, every last thought he had about anything else fled, and one hand rested down upon her stomach, still flat, the baby so new inside of her.

And he thanked the doctor with a firm handshake, and then with both arms, gently lifted his wife, and carried her to the bedroom, to express just how grateful he was to have her.


	4. Promise

She was pregnant. The news had spread quickly, and the celebration was planned immediately. Their princess was going to give the kingdom an heir. The royal line was going to continue at last.

The celebration lasted far into the night, and with the joyous news reigning over the people of the kingdom, it seemed as though not a single soul could be found not eating, drinking, or merry-making. Except for Ele'sear herself, that is.

She leaned heavily against the stony wall of the castle, her gaze focused out the window, on the distant skyline. From below, she could hear the cries of the merry-makers, as the brilliant explosions of the fireworks above filled the night with their rumbling thunder.

She let a brief smile slip across her face as she made to turn away, but a tiny flickering of light caught her eyes, and she stilled. As the small flickering lights approached the window she was perched at, her legs carried her stiffly backwards. In tandem, the lights met just above her head, and parted into a circular pillar of light that encompassed her. She reached a tentative hand outwards to push against the barrier that surrounded her, only to find it a solid, tangible thing beneath her touch, warm, and almost living.

Terror threaded its way through her body, and from the top of the pillar shot four small fragments of light, which landed in a circular pattern around her. The fragments began to grow, swelling, as the shapes of four individuals formed inside the pillars of light that stood where the fragments had once lingered.

To the south of her, stood a man garbed all in shades of red and brilliant orange. His hair fell around him in waves that were so brilliant, it seemed as if fire itself were manifest in him, his eyes glowing as if dim embers set into his pale skin.

To the east of her, there was a woman, who sparkled and shone like ice beneath the blazing sun, a rare glittering flash of color here and there amidst the pale blue that seemed to compose her body entirely. Her eyes were a haunting blue, and the ground beneath her was slicked with a layer of frost, a thin haze of tiny snowflakes swirled around her body.

To the north of her stood a towering giant of a man, his skin a dusky brown, and his green eyes glowing with an almost unrecognized light. Coiled around his waist, which was mostly bare except for a set of earthy brown toned breeches, was a serpent, its head raised upwards, just above his own. It was difficult to determine from first glance if it was coiled around him, or if it was a part of him. Beneath his feet, the ground trembled, a cloud of dust rose to the middle of his body, but never any higher.

To the west, was a young woman garbed entirely in shades of white and gold, the wind rose around her in a steady, almost cyclonic pattern. Her eyes were swirling shades of white, and nothing garbed her but the long white hair that swept across her skin, drawn over her body by the light winds that wrapped around her.

The woman lowered to her knees slowly, sinking of a will not her own, before the power of the four sacred gods.

"Your time here is almost finished," the larger of the four figures spoke, his voice deep, and rumbling, like a deep well of the earth. The tone was comforting, and yet, not. "Why do you continue to defy us?"

Her head turned away, unable to stand the soothing comfort in his voice. She wanted to be angry with them, for laying such a burden upon her. Three years, was that what her service was worth?

"You swore an oath to serve us, if we gave you three years on this mortal world, Ele'sear," his words were warm, and filled the room with an unspoken heat, before the room grew uneasily silent, the soft sound of her shifting on the floor to face him, a light scraping sound, before he spoke again. "You know you are bound by your word to serve us, woman, why do you fight against it?" this asked as her arms dropped forward to cradle her stomach protectively.

She was trembling inside the pillar of light, so warm, yet she felt chilled to her very soul. Behind her lay the scattered remains of failed rituals, booked sprawled across the floor that contained no answers, only more questions. She had been working for two years to discover a means of staying alive without depending on their costly blessings. For her efforts, she had no success thus far. Nothing at all to show she had made any effort, except the anger of the four gods before her.

"Would you want to give up your life?" quietly spoken through the curtain of red hair that framed her face, eyes, light with tears, focused on the floor before her as she spoke. "Would any of you want to become mortal?" her voice was steadily raising, as anger boiled to the surface inside her. "How can you expect me to not try to find a way to stay alive? Are you all fools? Do you really believe I won't try to find a way to stay with my husband, and my child?"

Her trembling had changed now, from fear, into rage, a rage that shuddered along her skin, and raised the hair on the back of her neck, an anger so great that the pillar of light around her began to crumble, the own energy of her strange aura lashing out at the prison meant to hold her. "I'd give up eternity before I'd stop trying to remain with them!"

The hatred in her voice filled the room, and Byako and Suzaku stepped back as if they'd been struck, only the woman wrapped in ice remained strong, even as Genbu, the giant of a man knelt, his brows furrowing together as he stared at the floor. Seiryu walked slowly towards the angry, kneeling figure, and one hand slid through the barrier of light that held her inside the circle, dragging her out by her chin, her hand shifting as he lifted her, dangling her with her feet off the floor, as hands wrapped around her wrist, and Ele'sear glared at her defiantly.

"If you really wish to give up eternity that can be arranged." the woman's hateful glare threatened to freeze Ele'sear solid, and it was all she could do to fight the force of trying to stare a god down face to face. Though it was a struggle, she kept her eyes locked with the woman, until surprise flickered across her face as the woman tossed her, with a single hand, across the room. As Ele'sear slammed into the wooden post that acted as a support beam for the upper tower of the castle, she let out a sharp cry of pain, slumping to the floor, as the woman in blue stalked towards her.

Stepping forward, the man in red held out his hand, and gestured the blue-clad woman back, she obeyed, though it was with hesitation. Kneeling on the floor, blood trickled down her chin from her lip, and her body shaking, Ele'sear struggled upwards onto her hands and knees, blood running thickly from between her legs, to pool on the floor beneath her.

"You have broken your vow to us, Ele'sear. Because I can understand your longing, you will not be punished. But neither will we extend our mercy a second time. Your life is in your own hands. We will simply collect you when the time comes." And one by one, the figures faded away, leaving behind their respective elements in their places. It was Suzaku who remained the longest, one hand brushing a strand of red hair from Ele'sear's face, as he smiled down at her.

"You are strong. Your child will survive this. We will be waiting, Ele'sear. Enjoy your humanity, while it lasts." and as the sound of heavy footfalls thudded up the stairs, the fiery god faded away into a mote of light that seemed to dart out the window, and into the night sky.

The figure that burst through the doorway a moment later was Noah, who rushed forward to grab her, as she collapsed to the floor, her world plunged into blackness.

----

The doctor stood in the hallway, wiping blood from his hands on a warm cloth, damp from the steaming water it had been in a few moments earlier. Noah stood a few paces away, and his head was bowed as the doctor spoke his piece.

"So you're saying she's…." there was a thin hint of disbelief in his voice. She was far enough along that the baby had lived, but the child's life had come at a terrible cost. Whatever had caused the bleeding was enough that she was hemorrhaging, and the doctor had no way to stop it. The doctor put a hand on Noah's shoulder, as he strode past, into the bedroom, closing the door behind him softly.

"Ele?" his voice was soft, as he moved into the room. He gazed where she lay in the bed, a single candle near the open window providing the only light. She'd lost so much blood that her skin had turned a pale yellow color, her once vibrant red hair was strewn around her face, and in her arms was a small bundle, a tiny figure that squirmed. With a tuff of red hair crowning his face, the son she held in her arms was perfect.

"No..ah," a heavy rattle sounded in her throat as she spoke, the child in her arms squirming as she clutched him to her chest. She looked weak, far weaker than she let on, and he knew then that the doctor had been telling the truth. He didn't think the woman he had married wouldn't last the rest of the night.

"What's his name?" Noah reached to take his son tenderly, almost afraid he'd drop him, as he settled himself onto the side of the bed nearest her, forcing himself to keep the tears from his eyes. His son was beautiful, such a tiny, fragile thing, delicate, and dependant.

"Haven't.. you.. so.. tired.." her eyelids grew heavy, as her eyes began to droop closed. He reached forward with one hand, smoothing a strand of hair back from her weary face, her eyes flashing open for a moment, she reached her hand to the side of the bed, grasping for a small envelope, which she pressed into his free hand, as she took back their son.

"Re..ad."

The soft, single word command prompted him, as he watched her lay their son against her chest, where he lay, becoming still and quiet, falling asleep as her breathing grew steady beneath him. Puzzle flickered through Noah's eyes, and he flicked the wax seal off the envelope, pulling the parchment from inside. As he began to read, his eyes focused on the paper, and nothing else, as she knew it would.

"Noah. My darling. We have not had the easiest of lives, have we? From death, to death, to rebirth, and exchange, we've struggled together. But, I have not been entirely true to you. I owe you that truth now."

He glanced at her, that puzzled expression returning to his face, as he adjusted his glasses, and then continued to read, and her insistent gesture.

"When the ritual to return you to life went awry, I did die. It took my life, in exchange for yours. I passed, from this life into the next. Standing before the four gods in judgment, I offered them an exchange. A deal, of sorts. I would serve them for eternity, if they would in return grant me three years of life. A year for my brother. A year for you. And a year for our son. If you read this letter now, it means that my time is either coming to a finish, or has already done so."

His fingers tightened on the edges of the papers held in his hand, and he felt his heart sinking in his chest, as he realized exactly what the missive he held was. Shaking his head softly, in disbelief, he turned back to the paper, again, at her urging.

"I want you to know that I do love. That I have loved you. That I will love you. Regardless of where my soul travels, or what happens while we are apart, I will love you for eternity. Until the day we are reborn."

There was a brief pause in the writing, and he felt the scalding feeling of tears sliding down his face, beneath his glasses, as his vision slowly began to blur. She had sacrificed herself in such a way, to be with him. Was pledging her eternal love for him. But she lay on the bed dying. He realized that the instant he'd entered the room. Fingers tensed again, as he continued reading.

"I have three wishes for you, my love. I wish you happiness. I wish our son to grow strong, and to live well. And I wish you to go on living, even though I have gone. I know how easy it would be, to slip into despair, and allow it to consume you. Do not seek revenge. Do not seek a way to return me to life. Simply live, and I will be happy, knowing you will continue to go on."

The tears that were falling clouded his vision, and he heard the raspy breathing in the room begin to fade, his heart hammering in his chest, as he reached for one of her hands, his fingers intertwining with hers. She lay a hand over the one holding the letter, pressing it to the bed, as he spoke.

"Ele'sear. My foolish, beautiful wife. I can't imagine what life would have been like, never knowing you, and never loving you. I give you my oath. I will continue to live. I will take our son to visit your grave often. He will know what a wonderful woman his mother was. And how much you loved him. Were I a more selfish man, I would beg you to stay.. but I know you cannot. Rest well, my beloved Ele'sear. I will wait for you. As long as is necessary."

Her hand squeezed his for a moment, as the rasping sound of her breath grew silent, that loving smile he had come to know so well on her motionless face. Lifting the letter, he read the last paragraph, his hand still clutching hers tightly.

"For three years, I devoted myself to trying to find a way to live without their blessing. But I am sorry Noah. I failed. I wasn't able to find that thing that would permit me to live. I am sorry for the pain I have caused you. I'm sorry that I leave you alone to raise our son. Perhaps, in the next life, we will have a second chance at our love. I promise, my soul will always seek out yours. Some day, we will be together again."

After several moments, his son stirred on his mother's chest, the body of his mother laying still beneath him, the lads cry filling the air, as Noah lifted his son's body from atop his mother, her hand, limp in his grasp, her gray eyes closed to the world, and her chest unmoving, all breath fled. With a pained expression, he pulled the body of his wife to him in his other arm, holding her close for a moment.

And in the dark of the room, as the candle that had provided the only light snuffed, and the sun set into the west, he pressed his lips to her own, and slowly lay her back down into the bed, his son clutched tight to him, the letter pressed into his pocket, he strode from the room. The bright and shining star that had lit the way in their lives was gone. And from this death, there would be no return.

----

The man in glasses stood beside the stone tennyou that marked the grave. In his hands were flower petals, which he sprinkled across the statues base, the young red-haired boy beside him, barely a year old, followed his movements.

The man kneeled after a moment, fingers running across the inscription that lay carved at the feet of the tennyou.

"Here lies the heavenly maiden, princess, mother, wife, beloved, mourned. May her spirit find peace."

The young boy tugged softly at the mans robe, as he stood upwards, a soft, whispered voice filling the cemetery with its rich sound, the speaker unseen, but felt, a warmth that surrounded both father and son, as the man lifted the red-haired youth in his hands, and turned to move out of the graveyard, the hidden red-haired woman standing just behind the statue, her back pressed against the stone, eyes turned skyward, as they moved past her.

'_I love you.'_


End file.
